Return-Path: <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id j2MF92C08633; Tue, 22 Mar 2005 10:09:02 -0500 (EST) Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2005 10:09:02 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <LOBBICLOAFKBEPDBHIAJGEEGFNAA.l.cuttler@comcast.net> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Lucille Cuttler" <l.cuttler@comcast.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-LD:4658] RE: How best to approach student who seems to "blank out" for long periods X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.6604 (9.0.2911.0) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 2662 Lines: 60 Hi Michele! The student you describe can improve his reading ability with a teacher trained to use an Orton/Gillingham approach. This multisensory structured teaching, a method based on scientific research, works. One of its tenets is that you go as fast as you can and as slow as you must. O/G is just another tool for the teacher' tool box. Individual tutoring with the student you describe sounds like the way to go. I've been teaching for 20 years and have never had students who didn't learn. Lucille Cuttler -----Original Message----- From: nifl-ld@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-ld@nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Michele Anne Craig Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 8:16 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [NIFL-LD:4652] How best to approach student who seems to "blank out" for long periods Dear List, Last night I had a student join my class who has passed through the hands of many other teachers at our site. He took three nights to take the CASAs, but his scores were pretty good (in the 240's for reading and 230's for math). He has tried to take the GED and failed. As I spoke with him and watched him work, it almost seemed as if he was having petit mal seizures. I would ask him a question and his eyes would glaze over and he wouldn't respond for several minutes. When he did respond, it was obvious he was just taking up where he left off, but didn't seem cognizant of the fact that time had elapsed. When he read, it took him about 10 minutes to read a very easy paragraph, but when he finished it, he had good recollection of what he had read, he was just painfully slow. He showed me his HS transcript (from Mexico) and he had received very good high school grades in courses like philosophy and physics.So while second language acquisition is an issue, something else is going on. I was beginning to wonder if he had an accident or something that affected his brain, but I don't really know how to bring this up. His behavior is also similar to some of the students I have worked with who have schizophrenia. I am thinking about telling him that I noticed that sometimes he takes a long time to answer a question or to read a passage and has that always been the case? But....I don't want to turn him off or embarrass him. On the other hand, he has been bumped from school to school and teacher to teacher. He told me he really wants to work on his reading skills. Has anyone worked with students like this or do you have any suggestions? I really want to help him pass his GED, but I am at a loss. If it is going to take him so long to process information, I feel like it would be useful for me to know why so I can help. Michele
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